Seamless stocking and method of making the same



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flags w. SCOTT SEAMLESS STOCKING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 20. 1923 I April 22 1924.

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SEAMLESS STOCKING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME File 20. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lave-211707 RzjusWSc-oiii g M Patented ApnZZ, 1924. i

UNITED STATES 1,491,760 PATENT OFFICE.

RUFUS W. SCOTT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO HEMP- HILL COMPANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

BEAMLESS STOCKING METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

' Application filed Iaii'hery 20, 1928. Serial No. 618,856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUFUS W. Soqrr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Seamless Stockings and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, .hke characterson the drawings representing llke arts. p This inventionrelates to seamless stockings and tothe method of making the same.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosed a single embodiment of the stocking of my invention in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a view of the back of a'stockmg constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view very much enlarged showin a at' the ack of the leg of the stocking;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a ortion of a machine that may be employe in the practlce of my invention, and

Fig. dis a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the actual relative width of the reenforcements and the floats.

The stocking of my invention 15 a socalled circular knit or seamless stocking knitted upon a circular machine having means for forming the heel and toepockets, such as narrowing and widening pickers.

While any suitable mechanism may be employed in the production of thestocking, the machine should be equipped with means for introducing the main knitting yarn and also for introducing a reinforcing am .at the desired point and desirably wit means for changing the stitch length as the knitting progresses.

The stocking of my invention is desirably" provided at the back of the leg with a reinforcement stripe constituting .in reality a duplex or two part stripe, the arts whereof are connected by short oat threads lengthwise whereof, after the formation-of the stocking is completed, there is run a line of sewing machine stitches constituting a mock seam and serving to tie down the said shortfloat threads, 1 said short float threads extending from and between'the adportion of the structure of the stripe jacent inner ed es of the two arts of the stripe, but at t e edges of said two part stripe, the long floating threads are severed and removed, so that in the completed stocking, there exist merely the short float threads which are tied down by the sewed line of stitches constituting a mock seam and also constituting means for holding said short float threads in position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the stocking is indicated generally at 1, it having desirably a seamless heel 2 and a so-called seamless toe 3 with a high splice 4 of any suitable shape, the latter being provided during the knitting operation through the introduction of a reinforcing yarn which may be the same yarn as that employed for knitting the longitudinal two part stripe or a substitute yarn. a

The stocking may be knitted from any suitable materiahas, for example, silk, and beginning at or near the upper end of the stocking, as, for example,- at the bottom of the so-called welt portion 5, I introduce a reinforcing yarn, such as 6, in addition to the main or body yarn 7, in any suitable yarn at 6 and the main yarn at 7, and for convenience of illustration merely have represented the said two yarns as interknitted into the stripe for three wales only on each Y side of the back median line on the stocking,

but have indicated the fabric as broken away. It will be understood, however, that the reinforcement stripe may be of any suitable width, and it is desirably of the full length of the stocking from at least the welt to the high s lice, though it may be of lesser lerigth, but esirably extending to the high sp ice. v v

The knitted loops whereinto the auxil iary yarn 6 is introduced are desirably plain loops, such as are formed in regular knitting, and between the loops into which the reinforcing yarn is introduced is a seriesof has wales, here shown as seven in number, into which the reinforcing yarn is not interknitted, but past which thesaid yarn is floated in short lengths as indicated at 8 in Fig. 2.

Desirably each part of the duplex stripe, namely, the parts at the right and the left of the float threads 8 is in and of itself about three times the width of the set of wales past which the floats 8 extend, as indicated in Fig. 4 wherein a few only of the courses are partially indicated but of a sufflcient lateral extent to show the said proportion of the length of the floats and the reenforced areas. My invention is not limited in this respect, but the proportion should be such as to provide a well defined stripe at each side of the non-reinforced portion where the floats 8 exist. Thus it will be seen that in the referred embodiment of my invention t e length of the floats 8 is substantially less than the lateral extent of each part of the duplex stripe.

The reinforcing yarn, as indicated at 9, 10 in Fig. 2, is out or otherwise severed at both outer edges of the two part stripe, so that, as stated, the longfloat threads, which connot be so successfully tied down by the line of sewing machine stitches are obviated, thus leaving only the said short float threads 8. The number of wales past which the floats 8 extend should be sufliciently small as not to impair the effect of the stripe, but should be suflicient to permit the lines of sewing machine stitches, indicated at 11, to be applied without being incorpo rated into the reinforced wales.

The line of sewing machine stitches may be applied in any suitable way after the completion of the, stocking either at the inside or at the outside of the stocking, but in either case it penetrates one or more of 'the wales past which the" floats 8 extend, and

also said floats, and-tie them down against the body portion-of thefabric, so thatthey will not be displaced or present diflleulty in putting on the stocking.

In Fig. 3, l have indicated a part of a machine by which the stocking may be produced. In said figure, T have represented a series of yarn fingers 12 for introducing the body yarn or yarns, and an. additional yarn finger 13 for introducingthe reinforcing yarn 6,. and desirably at a point somewhat removed circumferentially from the point at which the main yarn is introduced.

in order to make the reinforced stripe of the desired width, a group of heel needles having relatively short butts may be removed and replaced by another group havingspecial butts. A dividing cam 14: is

l employed to pull down all the needles except those havingthe special butts, so that said needles having the special butts may take the reinforcing yarn from the yarn finger mew/ea 13., all the other needles passing under or by said reinforcing yarn finger without taking yarn therefrom. The result is that the relnforced stripe is produced, as both the reinforcin yarn and the regular yarn are knitted into the fabric at the usual knitting points, leaving the short float threads 8 which are positioned against the inner face of, the fabric and are subsequently sewed down as stated.

In order to apply the mock seam of sewing machine stitches, the stocking is desirably folded lengthwise at or about the back median line of the stocking, and the stocking is then run through a suitable sewing machine. Far forming said line of sewin machine stitches, the stocking may be turne inside out, if desired, or in any suitable way the line of sewing machine stitches may be applied without turning the stocking, thus avoiding an extra step in the manufacture thereof.

The stocking, although made upon a circular knitting machine simulates the full fashioned stocking made upon flat machines, which latter necessarily have a seam on the back of the leg and which frequently have reinforced selvages united by said seam. The reinforcement stripe herein disclosed constitutes a simulation of the two reinforced selvages of the flat web or blank of the full fashioned stocking and the line-of sewing machine stitches, which does not itself penetrate the reinforced knitted loops of the stocking, simulates the actual seam of a full fashioned stocking. I

It will be observed that hile the stocking is provided with a lengthwise running line of stitches and also with a lengthwise reinforcement stripe, said line of stitches does not penetrate the interknitted structure of the stripe. but merely serves to hold down the short floats connecting the adjacent edges of the duplex stripe, in addition to its function of simulation of the actual seam of the full fashioned stocking.

The short floats 8 do not themselves constitute a reinforcement and do not constitute a part of the duplex reinforcement stripe, but merely serve to unite or connect the two parts of the stripe and represent the result of a practical method of forming the two parts of the stripe.

ltd

The long floats joining the outer edges of i the duplex or two part stripe are preferably cut out after the stocking is knitted, but before the short floats are sewed down. Within the scope of my invention the reinforcing yarn may be severed in the procltlll embodiment of my invention and-the 'best mode known to me for practising the "method of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are tubular web provi ed at the back with a duplex or two part reinforcementstripe composed of the main yarn and a, reinforcing yarn knitted therewith throughoutboth arts of said stripe and floated between and oining the adjacent edges of said parts of the stripe, and a line of sewing machine stitches extending lengthwise the stocking between said ad acent edges of said two parts of the stripe, and binding said floated parts of the reinforcing yarn to the inner faceof the stocking 2. A circular knit or so-called seamlessstocking comprisin a continuous knitted tubular web provi ed at the back with a duplex or two part reinforcement stripe com d of the main yarn. and a reinforcing yarn knitted therewith throughout both arts of said stripe and floated between and oining the adiacent edges of said parts of the stripe,.the reinforcing yarn terminating at the outer edges of both parts of the strips in every course of the stripe.

3.A circuilar knit or so-called seamless stocking comprising a continuous knitted tubular web provided at the back with a duplex or two part reinforcement stripe composed of the main yarn and a reinforc ing yarn knitted therewith throughout both parts of said stripe and floated between and mining the ad'acent edges of said parts of the strips, the nitted loops between the inner edgesof the two parts of the reinforcement stripe being plain loops and consisting only of the main yarn and means structurally distinct from saidreenforcing yarn for securing the floats of the latter to the main yarn between the two parts of the stripe.

4. A, circular knit or so-called seamless stocking comprising a continuous knitted tubular web provided at the back with a duplex or two part reinforcement stripe com ing yarn knitted therewith throughout both parts of said stripe and floated between and oining the adjacent edges of said arts of the stripe, each floated portion of t e remforcing yarn being materlally shorter than the lateral extent of each part of the duplex ing knitting 'a tubular leg and interknitting therewith at'the back of of the main yarn and a reinforcor two part reinforcement stripe and means structurally distinct from said reenforcing yarn for securing the floats of the latter to the main yarn between the two parts of the stripe.

5. That process of forming a circular knit or so-called seamless stocking comprising knitting a tubularleg from a main yarn and interknitting therewith at the back of the leg a reinforcing yarn in two groups of wales spaced apart to form a duplex or two part stripe, floating said reinforcin yarn across thewales intervening between t e two parts of the stri e, andthereafter sewi a line'of stitches. engthwise the stocking tween the adjacent edges of the two parts of the stripe, thereby forming a mock seam and binding said floated parts of the reinforcing yarn to the inner face of the stocking. 6. That process of forming a circular knit or so-called seamless stocking comprising knitting a tubular leg from a main am an interknittingtherewith at the bee of th? 8 leg a reinforcing yarn in two cups ,0 wales spaced apart to form a dup ex or two part stripe, floating saidreinforcing yarn across the wales intervening between the said two parts of thestripe, severi the reinforcing yarnso as to provide on s at both outer edges of the duplex or two part stripe in each course of the stripe, and there after sewing a line of stitches lengthwise the stripe between the adjacent edges of the two parts'of the stripe, thereby binding the retained floated parts of the reinforcin yarnto the inner face of the stocking an providing a mock seam.

7. That process of forming a circular? knit orv so-called seamless stocking'comprisfrom'a main yarn the leg a .reinforcing yarn in two oups of wales spaced apart to form a dup ex or.

two part stripe, floating said reinforcing yarn across the wales intervenin between the two parts of the stripe for a fitteral extent materially less than each art of the said two part stripe, severing t e reinforcing yarn so as to provide ends thereof; at the outer edges. of the two part stripe in each course of said stripe, and thereafter sewing a line of stitches lengthwise the stripe between the adjacent edges of the two parts of the stripe, thereby binding said retained floated parts of the reinforcin yarn to the inner face of the stocking and providing a mock seam. 1

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

RUFUS w. soo'r'r. 

